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ADOPTION |
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Adoption of a child is a legal process involving the voluntary or involuntary termination of the rights and duties of the natural parents and the assumption of those rights and duties by the adopting parents. Procedures regarding adoption are governed by the Adoption Act and the Orphans' Court Rules. Parental rights of a child may be relinquished voluntarily or by an involuntary termination proceeding.
Step-parent adoptions occur when a non-biological step parent adopts the biological child of the step-parent's spouse. Same sex adoptions between same sex couples are treated almost identically to step-parent adoptions.
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